Will You
by lookingforthestars
Summary: Walter has a serious question to ask Paige, but first he'll have to face one of his most formidable challenges yet: winning over her mother. (Follow up to Listen, but can stand alone.)
1. Reunion

**Several months late, I am finally writing a follow-up to the end of "Listen." This will be much less dramatic. You don't have to read "Listen," but you should, if you haven't. You'll like it, probably. This is also going to follow the backstory of Paige's family that I wrote in the one-shot called "Family" in my collection "Lightning." If that all seems like a lot of research, well, I'll try to make this story comprehensive enough. It's a short one, about four chapters most likely. Please, please, please review; it is much more motivating and encouraging for writers than you realize. At any rate, enjoy!**

"Paige." He cleared his throat and balled his fists in his lap to keep them from shaking. "Paige, I know that we've experienced several very intense events, and I'm impressed with the way you've handled them…"

What? No. This was a proposal, not a performance review.

Walter started again. "We've certainly faced a number of obstacles in our relationship…"

Mainly his own stubbornness. No need to remind her of that. The genius shook his head and told himself to loosen up.

"I know I was of the opinion that love didn't exist…"

Was he trying to ask her to marry him or talk her out of it?

"Since you are emotionally attached to certain traditions…"

No.

"I just…" Walter groaned and leaned forward, tapping his forehead against the edge of the steering wheel. "What I'm trying to say is…"

"Walter?"

The genius bolted upright, jumping again in his seat as his elbow grazed the horn. He quickly flipped up the mirror he'd been practicing into and attempted to appear casual as Paige opened the door and climbed into the front seat next to him, Ralph sliding silently into the back.

She eyed him with one eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?"

"Excellent," he said stiffly, checking to make sure that Ralph had his seatbelt on before he turned on the ignition and shifted the car into drive. "Simply working out the solution to a problem."

"Mmhmm," she hummed, relaxing back into her seat as he pulled away from the rest area. "Anything I can help with?"

Walter shook his head. "Not…at this stage in the process," he said, giving her a tight-lipped smile before turning his attention back to the road. "Perhaps later."

Paige shrugged. "Okay." They lapsed into silence for several minutes until she asked, "We've got about another three hours, right?"

From the back, a small voice grumbled, "It's 214.65 miles."

Walter and Paige exchanged a look and suppressed their grins as Walter said, "What's that, buddy?"

"We still have 214.43 miles to go," Ralph answered with an audible sigh, his calculations adjusting with every second that passed. "It would have been faster to take the train."

Paige threw another glance at Walter, more surprised and concerned this time. She scrunched her forehead before twisting around in her seat to face her son. "The train?"

"Trains can go up to 150 miles per hour," he explained, eyes glued to his tablet. "This car's performance suffers at speeds above 80 miles per hour. Even you can understand the math, mom."

"Gee, thanks," Paige laughed, reaching out to rest her hand on Ralph's knee. "I'm just surprised that you would want to take the train, after…you know…"

The young genius flicked his eyes up momentarily, studying her expression before returning to his game. "The odds of dying in a train accident are 500,000 to one. I'm not afraid of trains because the odds are overwhelmingly in our favor. Fear can be beaten by knowledge."

Paige released her grip and flicked her eyes from Ralph to Walter and back before biting her lip. "He really is just like you."

Walter felt his throat tighten at her words, remembering the pain in her eyes when she'd said them before and the desperation with which he had tried to outrun them the day that he—that they—almost lost everything. His fingers involuntarily stiffened on the steering wheel until Paige noticed his reaction and wrapped her palm around the base of his neck. "Hey," she said quietly. "I meant it as a good thing. It's a good thing, okay?"

The smile she flashed him was genuine, and there was no indication on her face that she was upset. Walter felt himself relax under her touch.

"I need music," Paige said to change the subject. "Ralph, honey, what are you in the mood for?"

Ralph gave no response.

"Never mind. Walter?"

"Whatever you want. It doesn't matter to me."

Paige rolled her eyes. "See, you say that, and then you complain about my choices." She lowered her voice to imitate him. "'That metaphor is flawed. This beat per minute rate is less than optimal.'"

Walter smirked. "Music is just math, like everything else in the universe. I can't help it if the artists you enjoy have an insufficient grasp of the concept."

The liaison slapped him playfully on his arm, pulling back abruptly as he winced. "I'm sorry. Does it still hurt?"

"A little," Walter admitted with a grimace, rotating his shoulder until the sting passed. "Not as bad as I was expecting. It's mostly just a bruise now."

"Getting shot hurt less than you were expecting?"

"Technically I was just shot at," the genius rebutted, giving her a mischievous grin. She bent her fingers and flicked his leg in retaliation. "Ow."

"Please." Paige scrolled through the options on her iPod and settled on a pop song that Walter had never heard and quickly tuned out anyway. He snuck a glimpse of her as she shifted in her seat and leaned her head against the window, focusing on the scorched scenery around them.

He expected her to shut her eyes and fall asleep, but after nearly twenty minutes, she was still staring out the window with quiet intensity. Walter hazarded to break the silence. "Is something wrong?"

Paige's eyes widened as she turned to him, her train of thought clearly interrupted. She smoothed back her hair with one hand and rested her elbow on the door. "I'm fine. Why?"

Walter's hands tightened on the wheel as he checked the traffic—hardly any on the long stretch of desert highway—before angling his head toward her. "Your eyes are glazed and your shoulders have tensed up. Something appears to be…on your mind."

"Oh." Paige knitted her eyebrows and pressed her lips together. "Just thinking about what it'll be like to see my mom."

"And…?" he prompted cautiously. Walter was frequently stumped about what exactly to say to Paige when she was upset, but he'd learned that she responded openly as long as he showed interest in listening.

The liaison reached over and pulled his hand off the wheel, gripping it in hers. He laced their fingers and squeezed her palm. "Why am I so nervous about this? We've faced much scarier circumstances than a weekend with my mother."

Walter drifted his thumb over her knuckles. "Family is…hard. But you already spoke to her on the phone. The ice is broken, at least, right?"

"Yeah, but that's the phone. What if...?" Paige sighed. "What if seeing me in person stirs up all of these difficult memories for her? What if seeing her stirs them up for me?"

The genius considered her question before responding delicately, "I think that those memories are always present for you. Likely for your mother too. Seeing her and trying to work through your past disagreements is unlikely to cause you any more pain and anxiety than you've already experienced."

Paige let out a breathy laugh as she wiped the first hints of tears away from her eyes. "That was…surprisingly intuitive, Walter."

The genius looked over at Ralph, who was curled up in the backseat fast asleep. He thought about how fortunate the young boy was to have a mother who could teach him to process and channel his emotions so that he wouldn't waste years like Walter did, being afraid of how deeply certain things affected him. His eyes traveled back to Paige. "Whatever happens, we can handle it," he said with conviction, the corner of his mouth turning up. "You can handle it, Paige. You're the strongest person I know."

* * *

"I'm not sure I'm ready for this," Paige said shakily, reaching out to grip Walter's forearm.

"We just drove for six hours. I need a snack," Ralph said matter-of-factly.

Walter rubbed small circles on her back and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You're ready, Paige. Breathe."

The liaison followed his instruction and inhaled deeply. Taking hesitant steps forward, she made her way down the stone path leading to the front door, which was painted vibrant blue. She extended her arm and hovered her fist over the door, unable to complete the action. Walter sighed and knocked for her, purposefully ignoring the annoyance in her expression.

Walter immediately noticed the resemblance as Paige's mother pulled open the door. Despite the differences in their coloring—the older woman had dark red hair and blue eyes—there was a distinct familiarity about her bone structure, the way she held herself, and her voice when she said Paige's name in a near whisper.

Walter and Ralph moved back as her mother stepped forward and pulled Paige into a tight embrace, catching the liaison by surprise. When she pulled back, they both shared a weak laugh and blinked back tears. Catching sight of Ralph, she bent down and hugged him too, not appearing to notice or care when the young genius kept his arms pinned to his sides.

"I'm so glad you're here, honey." The woman placed her hands on Paige's face and brushed back her hair.

"Me too," she answered, swallowing hard. "Anyway, uh, you know about Ralph." She motioned to her son and then shot Walter a quick smile. "And this is my boyfriend, Walter."

"I'm Angela." He felt a small spark of relief as he shook her hand. So far, everything was going according to plan. There was nothing for either of them to worry about. "Come in, please," she insisted, motioning for them to step inside.

Walter rested one hand on Paige's arm and the other on Ralph's shoulder as they filed into the foyer. The genius decided to do something that he knew Paige would appreciate and said, "Thank you for allowing us to stay in your home."

He internally congratulated himself on his effort until Angela narrowed her eyes. "Family is always welcome here," she said in a tense voice, giving him a look that he could only describe as dirty before shutting the door behind them and announcing in an overly cheerful tone, "Who wants something to drink?"

Suddenly he didn't feel so confident.


	2. Doubt

**AN: This update came a few days later than I was expecting. The second half of the story should come faster. First of all: thank you for your comments; they were so wonderful to read. Secondly: how great was that winter finale? They keep getting me with these emotional gut punches. Walter's breakdown was just so beautifully acted. And I've never been highly invested in Quintis either way, but…dang, Toby. Third: a reminder that if you want the backstory for Paige's parents, it's in chapter 6, "Family," in the collection "Lightning." Anyway, on to the story!**

Walter stared at the front door, memorizing every chip and wood grain visible through the bright paint. He'd gone outside to get their luggage, which appeared to be a mistake, because he wasn't sure he could bring himself to go back in.

The genius shook his head. He was terrible at reading social cues—it was likely he'd imagined Angela's disdainful reaction. And regardless, this trip was about Paige, not him. He never expected that anyone would rely on him for emotional support, but she was, and he didn't want to let her down. Walter gripped the bags in one hand and twisted the doorknob.

Angela was resting her elbows on the kitchen counter, her hands wrapped around a ceramic mug. Walter felt a strange pit settle in his stomach as he remembered the blue mug on the train, the one he'd used to distract Lucas and then injure him. He shook the thought out of his head, but the older woman noticed him staring and cleared her throat. "Yes?"

"Hm?" Walter's head jerked up and he found himself withering once again under her scrutinizing gaze. If he planned to survive the weekend, he needed a buffer. "Where are Paige and Ralph?"

"Upstairs," she said simply, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Okay." Walter motioned with Ralph's black duffel bag. "I should take these to them—."

"In a minute," Angela said calmly, in a tone that left little room for argument. "I would like to talk."

He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying not to let his nerves show and failing miserably. "Okay," he caved, dropping the suitcases on the floor.

She turned her back to him, twisting on the faucet and running her empty cup under the water. The odds of Paige or Ralph arriving to rescue him were admittedly low, but it doesn't stop him from wishing that they were next to him. It just made everything seem easier.

After a long silence, during which Walter questioned how quietly he might be able to slip away, Angela asked, "Why are you here?"

For a second, he thought he'd misunderstood her. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, why are you here, Walter?" The woman rested her cup in the sink and rotated around, crossing her arms in front of her. "I know virtually nothing about you, and yet here you are in my house, on the weekend that I'm supposed to be reconnecting with my daughter and my grandson."

The genius wrapped his palms around the edge of the island and took a breath. Tact wasn't in his nature, but he'd at least need to fake it unless he wanted to fend off Paige's anger as well. "I have no intention of interfering with that," he answered evenly. "I'm only here to support them."

"Of course," Angela snorted, facing away from him again to pull cloth napkins out of a drawer. "Just like Drew did."

Walter noticed his knuckles turning white and released his grip. He knew Ralph's father had tried to repair the mistakes he'd made, but hearing his name still managed to cause an unpleasant reaction in the genius. "I'm not like Drew."

"My daughter has bad taste in men," Angela continued bluntly, avoiding his gaze as she folded a red napkin into a neat square. "She's squandered a lot of good opportunities in her life because of her boyfriends, and I won't let that happen to her again."

Walter knitted his eyebrows, clearing his throat to keep the edge out of his voice. "I would never try to hold Paige back." When she didn't answer, he added, "With respect, Mrs. Dineen, you admitted yourself that you don't know much about me."

Angela paused her folding and finally met his eyes, though her icy stare made him wonder if he'd gone too far. "I don't believe that I need to, Walter." She leaned back and clasped her fingers together. "Paige has yet to find anyone that is worthy of her, and I have no reason to suspect that you'll be any different."

Walter processed her remark before shifting his weight onto his forearms and staring down at his hands. "I might not be good enough for Paige. Or Ralph. In fact, I'm pretty certain that I'm not," he confessed quietly, earning an eyebrow raise from the older woman. "But I don't take that for granted. I am not Drew, and I have no intention of leaving them."

Angela watched him thoughtfully for a minute before nodding in the direction of their luggage. "Thank you, Walter. You can go now."

* * *

The tension in the air was palpable when they sat down to dinner, and Walter wondered if Paige noticed. The last thing he wanted was for her reunion with her mother to be strained because of him. He noticed Paige twirling her fork around in her salad and reached over to squeeze her knee under the table. She gave him a small smile.

"So how does Ralph do in school?" Angela asked in between bites of her chicken. "Does he get along with the other kids?"

Paige glanced at her son, who was stacking his potatoes and hadn't said a word during the meal. "Ralph, baby? Do you want to tell grandma about school?"

The young genius pushed the top potato into the desired position and lowered his fork onto the plate, straightening up in his chair. "I was on TV, so most of the kids are nice to me. I like my math and science classes, but gym is a waste of time," he reported.

Walter flashed him a proud grin.

Angela, who had been briefed beforehand about Ralph's genius intellect, didn't seem at all put off by his concise style of communication. She smiled at him warmly and said, "Your grandfather loved science. He used to go out every night with his telescope and look at the stars."

Paige's body stiffened, and Walter rubbed his hand across her back to comfort her. She hadn't mentioned her father at all since she first revealed that he'd died, and Walter wondered how far down she had buried her memories of him, the guilt that she carried over pushing him away until the opportunity to make things right disappeared. She noticed Walter's concerned expression and nodded to assure him that she was okay.

"Do you still have the telescope?" Ralph asked animatedly, his curiosity piqued.

"It's a little dusty, but it's in the shed," Angela laughed. "Do you want to play with it after dinner?"

"Yes, please," the young genius said politely, abruptly moving his attention back to his potatoes and tuning out of the conversation.

Angela just shrugged and looked at Paige, loading another piece of chicken onto her plate. "Well, I guess we know where he got his intelligence from." Walter and Paige shared a look, unsure if there was an insult buried in her comment, but she continued before they had a chance to analyze it. "Why was he on TV?"

Paige smoothed her napkin on her lap. "Well, uh, he actually got accepted into a couple of colleges. But he realized that staying at his grade level would give him an opportunity to develop social skills, so he's just been taking classes here and there."

"Very impressive," Angela murmured, taking a sip of her wine. "And you'll actually get to see him graduate, which is nice."

Paige tensed up again and cleared her throat. "What does that mean?"

Walter realized that Angela had stumbled onto a sensitive subject, but before he could formulate a plan to change the topic, she replied, "Just that I hope you'll do a better job than I did of making sure he doesn't get unnecessarily distracted."

The liaison clenched the napkin in her fist and tossed it onto the table. "You are unbelievable," she snapped in a low voice. "For some reason, I thought things might be different now, but that's all it's ever been to you—an unnecessary distraction."

"Paige—," Walter said uneasily, knowing how intensely she would defend her son. He was trying to determine if it would be more effective to take Paige or Ralph out of the room when she went to Ralph's chair and kissed the side of his head.

"Honey," Paige said gently, brushing his hair aside, "can you go upstairs and play your game? I'll be up in a few minutes." The boy obeyed wordlessly, and his mother waited until he was out of earshot before dropping her composed façade. "It may not always seem like Ralph is paying attention, but he hears everything. Don't ever say something like that in front of him again."

Angela held up her hands in mock surrender. "I was merely pointing out that—."

"I know exactly what you were pointing out," Paige cut her off, coming up behind Walter's chair and resting her hand on his shoulder. He responded by reaching up to wrap his palm around her fingers. "You've always seen Ralph as a setback in my life instead of the amazing gift that he was. How can you sit right in front of my son, pretend to be so interested in him, and still act like I would have been better off without him?"

"I never said that," her mother argued, pushing her chair away from the table and standing up. Walter felt awkwardly positioned between them, but he wasn't planning to leave unless Paige told him to. "But please, don't act like your life has been so wonderful. You struggled far more than you needed to. I tried to protect you from that."

"And I would relive all of those terrible years to be with my son," Paige answered with conviction.

Angela's expression faltered for a second before she moved on to another tactic, pointing her finger at Walter. "And him?"

Paige tightened her grip on the genius and narrowed her eyes as she adjusted to the sudden change in direction. "We're not talking about Walter."

"Well, I think we should," she declared, crossing her arms over her chest. "You trust him around your son? Don't you think Ralph's been through enough, considering the state Drew left you both in—."

"You don't have a clue what Walter has done for us. What he's sacrificed for us," Paige shot back, subconsciously moving her body in front of his. "And what's worse, you don't care. You don't care if I'm happy with Ralph or with Walter or with my job, because it wasn't what you had planned out for me, so it's never going to be enough. If you can't accept that this is the way things are, then…" she trailed off, her voice cracking. "Then I'm sorry, but there is no place for you in our lives."

Heavy, uncomfortable silence fell between them as Angela stared at the ground, Paige stood motionless and Walter held his breath. Long seconds passed until the older woman picked up her plate and walked out, leaving Paige to slump down into the seat next to Walter.

"Wow," he said finally.

She sighed. "I know."

Walter hesitated before wrapping his arm around her—an awkward maneuver between the chairs, but Paige didn't seem to mind. She leaned over and tucked her head into his shoulder, pressing closer to him while he played with her hair. "I'm, um…" he started uncertainly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she muttered into his chest. "It's not your fault my mom and I have issues."

"No, I mean…I'm sorry that I didn't speak up. I should have…defended you."

Paige lifted her head to look at him, a smile forming on her lips. "That's sweet." She kissed his cheek before returning her head to his chest. "But all that matters to me is that you stayed. It's more than Drew ever did, that's for sure."

She let out a small giggle, and Walter felt the vibration from her laugh on his skin. He grinned almost involuntarily as he wrapped his free arm around her waist to bring her closer. "I'm here."

* * *

Walter's thumb hovered over the call button as he cursed himself for ever letting the shrink get wind of his proposal plans. The last thing he needed was Toby's signature blend of gloating and innuendos, but he couldn't seek Paige's assistance without alerting her to his secret. Reluctantly, the genius tapped Toby's number and sighed as the psychologist answered on the third ring, words just beginning to slur as he said, "Hello?"

"Are you at a poker game?" Walter said by way of a greeting.

Toby coughed before attempting to sound offended. "That's a serious assumption, Walter. I could be volunteering at a library. Or in bed with Happy."

"I can hear the Russian gangsters."

"Legitimate businessmen," Toby corrected before snickering. "And maybe Happy's just freaky. Speaking of freaky, where is Paige?"

Walter ignored his inappropriate segue. "On a walk with Ralph. I only have a few minutes, so I need you to sober up and listen."

"Done and done," he answered, his voice sounding suspiciously clearer. Walter wondered how a man who was so notoriously unreliable always managed to come through at the most unexpected times. "How are things at Casa Dineen? Hey, how does Paige's mom look? That's a glimpse into the future, my friend."

"Things are…not great," Walter informed him, refusing to indulge Toby's inane questioning. "Paige's mother and I have gotten off to a rocky start."

"Did you insult her curtains or something?"

"She thinks I will inevitably hurt Paige like Drew did."

Toby paused. "You both hate Drew. Boom. Common ground."

Walter shut his eyes and combed his hair back with his fingers. "I can't ask Paige to marry me like this. She and her mother are at each other's throats, and Angela is just waiting for me to make a mistake. It's a powder keg in here."

"Look, Walt—hold on." Toby placed his hand over the receiver, but Walter could still hear the shrink say, "Yeah, I'm all in."

"The library, huh?"

"Fine, I'm at a poker game. I would say sue me, but I might be running on empty after this round." The psychologist was silent for a beat before he groaned audibly. "Look, Walt, dealing with the in-laws is a special circle of hell for everyone. But you and Paige were basically made for each other. If Angela doesn't already see it, she will."

"Thanks Toby," Walter said, feeling strangely less anxious despite receiving advice from a man whose personal life was in constant shambles. "Don't gamble away any organs, okay?"

Toby released a theatrical sigh. "That happened _one_ time."


	3. Permission

**Thank you for the reviews! I was asked if Angela knows that Walter is a genius as well, and the answer is yes. But she dislikes him for reasons that really have nothing to do with him at all, as this chapter will show, if I've written it correctly. Anyway, I'll have one more chapter after this. I hope you enjoy, and please review! Any of the writers will tell you that this takes a lot of work haha. (Side note: my mom and I have been bingeing "Body of Proof" and when she saw Elyes for the first time—he's in the third season—she said "well, he's hot," and I was like, "welcome to my world.")**

It was just past eight in the morning when Walter knocked on Paige's door, balancing two cups of steaming coffee in his left hand. He didn't want to wake her up if she was still sleeping, but he felt the need to check on her after her confrontation with her mother the night before. "Paige?" he called out quietly.

"Come in."

He opened the door to find her curled up in a wicker chair, staring absentmindedly out the window. The liaison smiled as Walter sat on the ottoman across from her.

"Here," he said as he handed her a mug decorated with cats. "I had to search for the cinnamon, but, uh, I found it."

"Thank you, Walter." Paige offered him another appreciative smile, and Walter laughed inwardly at how willing he was to do things for her, just to see that expression on her face. "My mom…?"

"At the store. She left a note."

"Hmm," Paige hummed before linking her fingers around the cup and taking a sip, staring out her window again at the arid Arizona landscape.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Walter cleared his throat. "Paige, um…" She turned her attention back to him and raised her eyebrows. "If you're uncomfortable, we can pack up and leave today. Ralph and I will both understand."

"No," Paige replied immediately, and Walter wondered if she would be upset with him for suggesting it, but she just shook her head gently and tapped her fingers against the cup. "My mom and I have been apart for so long, I just…if there's no hope for our relationship, then I need to know for sure. When both of us cool down, I'm going to try again."

"Okay," Walter agreed, rubbing her leg. He started to retract his hand before Paige grabbed it and wrapped her fingers around his palm. The genius sent her a questioning look.

There was a long pause as Paige stared at him thoughtfully. "I'm really glad that you're here, Walter. I didn't want to pressure you to come, but…I needed you. I didn't even know how much I needed you here."

Walter found himself unsure how to answer, so he set his cup down on the side table and leaned over until he made contact with her lips. When they separated, she placed her cup beside his and hooked her arms around his neck, keeping them close. "I am never leaving you and Ralph alone again," he murmured, the words out before he'd even thought about them. Paige instantly understood his meaning and stretched out her legs so she could angle her body closer to his.

"We're okay, Walter, honestly. I never doubted that you would come get us…even though part of me wished that you wouldn't." He tried to look away, but she slid one hand over his shoulder and up to his cheek, forcing him to keep his eyes on hers. "But something tells me that wasn't an option for you."

The genius simply nodded. Paige already knew that nothing in the world would stop him from protecting her or her son. She pulled him into another brief kiss before untangling her arms. "I should check on Ralph, he's probably hungry since he didn't…really…finish dinner last night."

"I already did. He's reading," Walter assured her. "I was actually hoping to spend some time with him today…I could make breakfast for him while you relax for a while."

She grinned, and Walter knew that whatever the logical or mathematical or emotional reasoning behind it, it was a sight he would never get tired of seeing. "Perfect."

* * *

"Why are we eating out here?" Ralph asked as he speared a piece of scrambled egg on his fork. "It's hot."

"Sorry, bud, but I wanted to talk to you about something without your mom overhearing."

The young genius squinted. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, of course not." Walter shook his head before taking a sip of his orange juice. "You've been a champ this weekend, all things considered."

Ralph stared off into space before saying, "Normals fight a lot."

Walter chuckled and offered a small shrug. "The more you care about someone, the more power they have to upset you. It's a strange phenomenon."

"Yeah," the boy muttered. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

The genius took a deep breath to brace himself. "Actually, I have a question for you. It's a really important question, so tell me the truth, okay?" Ralph stared at him blankly and nodded. "I want to ask your mom to marry me. Do I have your permission to do that?"

He was silent as he chewed on his eggs, his face betraying no reaction, and Walter—who almost always understood what Ralph was thinking—desperately wished that he could read the boy's mind. "You don't believe in marriage," he replied finally.

Walter half-laughed and half-sighed in relief as he concluded that he had a good shot of assuaging Ralph's concerns. He pushed his plate to the side and leaned toward the boy. "Beliefs can change. They should change, when challenged with strong evidence. That's what you and your mom have done for me." Walter stretched out his hands and clasped them together. "For most of my life, I believed that love was a weakness, a distraction from things that were really important. But I think that the three of us are stronger together, don't you?"

Ralph nodded again, the corner of his mouth curling up.

"I'm not saying that I have this all figured out, but…I think that loving someone means that you care about the things they care about. Your mom has always done that for me with my projects, and with Scorpion, with Megan…" He cleared his throat. "And I want to do the same for her. After what happened on the train…I know that I want you and your mom in my life for as long as possible. And I want you to know, without a doubt, that I will always be here. I've already made that commitment; this will just be one way that I can show it to both of you."

After another moment of contemplation, during which Walter suppressed any sign of anxiety to avoid pressuring him, Ralph answered, "You've risked your life multiple times for my mom, so it stands to reason that you will always look out for her best interests."

The genius bit back a grin. "I'll certainly try."

"Okay," he said simply. "I would like that."

Walter could no longer hold back his smile—or the surprisingly strong wave of emotion that flooded through his chest—and he stood up from his chair, circling the table to kneel next to Ralph. "Thank you," he told the boy quietly before pulling him into a hug. The child reciprocated briefly and then turned his attention back to his breakfast, earning a choked laugh from Walter. He'd encountered his fair share of strange and surprising things over the course of his life, but finding this—love, a family, a future—was something he'd never predicted.

* * *

"You care about him, don't you?"

Walter jumped out of his skin as Angela's clipped voice appeared behind him. He stopped refilling his mug and returned the pot back to the coffee maker to avoid spilling it on himself.

"Ralph? Of course I do. He's a great kid."

"Hmm," she muttered. "You treat him well. Better than Drew, I'm willing to bet."

Walter wasn't sure if she was being frank or baiting him. Perhaps to spite her or because it felt like the right thing to do, he pushed aside his instincts and answered, "Drew's relationship with Ralph has not been…perfect, but he does try. Drew cares about his son."

He didn't enjoy referring to Ralph as Drew's son, but Paige had been teaching him to accept that there was room for both of them in the boy's life.

Angela paused before dropping the real bomb on Walter. "I overheard your conversation. With Ralph."

The genius blanched.

"Paige didn't. She doesn't know anything," she explained calmly. "But I know about everything that happens in my house."

"That's…unsettling."

Angela took a step toward him, and Walter, having nowhere to go except maybe onto the counter, decided to stand his ground as she stared him down. "I don't like you being here."

"I think we've established that." His confidence bolstered by his girlfriend's earlier words, Walter let a small smile slip despite her mother's attempt at intimidation. "But I'm not leaving as long as Paige needs me."

Walter prepared himself for another confrontation, but Angela nodded and focused her gaze on the wall next to him. "I've only just gotten them back, you know." There was a sadness in her tone that the genius heard for the first time, and he wasn't sure how to process it. "I have missed every big event in the last twelve years of Paige's life, and you being here…well, it's another reminder that she's gone on living her life without me."

He didn't answer.

"I didn't ask Paige to come here just so I could drive her away again," she said a little more firmly, tugging her sweater around her body. "She's right, you know. I've never been good at accepting her choices. It's a parental thing, maybe. My husband used to tell me when I was being too overbearing, but…" She shook her head. "It didn't stop her, anyway, my disapproval. She still had a hard life, and it might have been less hard if I'd just let go of what could have been and helped her on her new path."

Walter, put off and slightly uncomfortable with the outpouring of honestly, sipped his coffee silently until he formulated an answer that he thought incorporated all of the facts. "Paige has struggled immensely. She's had to fight for everything she has," he admitted, feeling a familiar spark of pride for her. "And maybe you think that was all for nothing, but respectfully, you're wrong. You don't know how many lives she's saved, how many lives we've saved together, and it's because she never stops fighting, even when things seem impossible. She pushes all of us to keep going."

"I don't care about that," Angela said abruptly, and Walter was about to give up on the conversation when she added, "I just want to know if she's happy now. Is my daughter happy?"

"I can't answer for her," Walter replied honestly, though Paige was always mercifully transparent with her feelings around him. "But I believe she is. And if you spend time with her… _listening_ to her…I think you'll know for yourself."

Angela was quiet, and Walter set his cup behind him before crossing his arms. "I would like your permission to propose to Paige."

The older woman furrowed her eyebrows and watched him curiously. "And if I say no? Would that stop you?"

"No," he confessed with a hint of a smirk. "But there's nothing that matters more to me than Paige and Ralph's happiness. _When_ I propose to her, I don't want anything, including your disapproval, hanging over us. You've missed out on Paige's life? Well, you're here now, and you can be a part of what's happening." Walter shrugged. "That's up to you."

Angela appeared to be debating whether to be offended by Walter's bluntness, but tact hadn't gotten him very far with her. She flicked her eyes up to him. "I hope that you understand why I'm struggling with this." The woman exhaled deeply and slid into a chair by the kitchen island, effectively ending their stand-off. He relaxed as well and leaned back against the counter. "Paige was in love once. It cost her everything."

"No, it didn't," the genius answered immediately, shocked to find himself defending Drew once again. But he couldn't ignore that good things—one good thing, anyway, and certainly one of the best things in Walter's life—had come from Drew and Paige's otherwise disastrous relationship. "It gave her everything. It gave her Ralph."

Angela rested her chin on her hand and drummed her fingertips against the granite. "She does seem to love him quite a bit."

"More than I've ever known a parent to love their child."

"And you?"

Walter pressed his lips together, unsure of how much more he could defend himself, but glad at least that she was giving him an opportunity to. "What about me?"

"Why is it so important that you propose to Paige?" She arched her eyebrows. "What is it that makes her and Ralph so important to you?"

It was a question he'd spent a great deal of time and energy analyzing—when he first met them, when he was fighting his feelings for Paige, when they'd gotten tired of being apart, when he first thought about proposing. So when Walter answered, he didn't really have to think about it. "They turned my whole world upside down. I thought that I had everything I needed before them, and then…I realized pretty quickly that wasn't true. For me, Paige is it. They are the only ones I want to share this with. Any of this."

Angela held his gaze for what felt like an immeasurable amount of time before she surprised the genius with a small, unexpected grin, the first he'd seen on her all weekend. "Not a bad answer, Walter."


	4. Questions

**The last chapter! A few things I wanted to mention: 1) Thank you to WriterFreak001 for her help/suggestions since I forgot earlier. And thank you to everyone who left reviews—even if I didn't get to respond, rest assured that I read them and they made my day. 2) I'm super behind on all the other fics that have been posted lately so if I have not reviewed yours, I'm getting to it! 3) I wrote a Waige wedding fic a few months ago—these stories weren't planned together, so they won't line up perfectly, but it's there if you would like to read it. And it has Megan in it. :( It's chapters one and three in "Lightning." 4) I named Paige's mom after my mom, but my mom is much, much cooler. She reads my stories sometimes even though she won't watch the show (she's not into nerds like I am), so hi mom! And take a moment to appreciate your mom today, if you can. :) 5) Please review if you've enjoyed the story, I would** _ **love**_ **to hear your thoughts. Here we go!**

 _Be determined to have a good day, and you will._

Paige had repeated that mantra to Ralph a thousand times, and to herself on the many, many days that she felt more like giving up than looking for the silver lining. She meant what she said to Walter; they couldn't leave until she knew, unequivocally, that she did everything in her power to make peace with her mother. With the benefit of time and rest, Paige could admit to herself that she had been on the defensive since the moment she walked in the door. She had to let down her guard and hope that Angela would do the same.

The liaison prepared herself for whatever mood she might find her mother in that morning, but she certainly wasn't prepared to see Angela and Walter conversing in the kitchen, appearing strangely…relaxed. She cleared her throat to announce her presence, both of them glancing up at her in surprise. "Is everything okay?"

"Good morning to you too," her mother answered jokingly. "And yes. We were just talking about Ralph."

Angela's tone and expression gave nothing away regarding the rest of their discussion, and she shot Walter a knowing glance. Paige sought confirmation from the genius, but he flashed her a reassuring smile. "Everything's fine." His eyes traveled between the two women before he walked toward Paige, placing his hand on her arm. "I'll be upstairs with Ralph. You two should talk."

"Okay." She squeezed his hand and entered the kitchen as he left, making her way to the cabinet and pulling out a bag of bagels. Paige took her time twisting off the plastic closure, acutely aware of the way her mother was watching her. "How did you sleep?" she asked tentatively.

"Fine." Angela shook her head and straightened up in her chair. "But that's not what you want to talk about."

Paige let out an unsteady laugh. "Blunt as ever. I had a feeling you might like Walter for that reason."

"Too early to tell," she asserted. "But I think right now, we need to address what happened last night."

The liaison nodded slowly, resting the bag behind her. "I didn't come here to fight, mom."

"Neither did I." Angela stared down at her intertwined fingers. "I think about you every day, Paige. I never wanted us to be apart for so long. I have always wanted to be in your life. After your father died…"

"I know," Paige interrupted, focusing her attention on her feet. She was struggling to maintain eye contact and had an inkling of how Walter felt during intense conversations. "It was just that, uh, the more time that went by, the harder it became to confront everything that happened. It was easier to…not look back."

Angela stayed silent for a long minute, causing Paige to worry that she'd said the wrong thing. But despite being the woman whose job was to handle conflict and steady the waters, she couldn't determine the right thing to say.

"So don't look back," Angela replied finally. "I don't blame you for anything that's happened, Paige. Neither did your father. You're clearly different now. I might not be so different, but I could work on that." She pressed her eyes shut and exhaled deeply. "I just can't stand the thought of you hating me any longer."

"I don't hate you," Paige interrupted hastily, her tone softening. "Do I still…resent you for some things? Yes, I do, and I think I'm justified in that. But I never hated you, mom. It's because I loved you and dad so much," her voice dropped, as if she worried about her son overhearing, "that it hurt like hell when you turned your back on me and Ralph."

"That's fair," the older woman acknowledged, glancing up at Paige before looking away guiltily. "I don't want you to have bad memories of him. I was the one who pushed you away. You can and should put all of the blame on me. But…"

"But?" Paige echoed, knowing that there was always a caveat.

"But you have to be willing to forgive me," Angela stated firmly. "And I mean really forgive me. When I make mistakes, you can't just add them to the pile of everything I've done wrong before. It has to be a fresh start. It's the only way we will ever have a real relationship again."

As a teenager, Paige would have wilted under the kind of determined stare that her mother was giving her right now, but after facing down smugglers, terrorists, and confirmed murderers, she found that it didn't have the same effect. The liaison considered her proposal before stepping forward and towering over her. "Okay," Paige conceded. "I can do that, if you can do the same for me. I need you to be able to separate the past and the present. I need you to accept the choices I make, as an adult. As a mother."

Angela watched her curiously, impressed by her daughter's confidence. She had often seen Paige suppress her strong nature around others; but not around Walter, it seemed. "Fine. I will respect your decisions. I can't promise that I will always agree with them, but I won't interfere."

"Thank you." Paige sighed and brushed her hair away from her face with one hand. "That means no more comments in front of Ralph, alright? And absolutely no more condescension to Walter. He's a good man, mom. He doesn't deserve the way you've treated him."

Paige had much the same reaction as Walter when instead of a sarcastic eye roll or grumble of protest, the older woman revealed a hint of a smile. "I know," she answered, delighting a little in her daughter's shocked expression. "It's quite possible that you've found someone worthwhile after all."

* * *

"Well, this is going better than I expected," Paige muttered as she sipped her tea.

Walter wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting out on the screened-in porch, but the sun was starting to fade and he could see stars becoming visible against the darkest parts of the sky. Taking advantage of their truce while it lasted, Paige had crammed the past twelve years into a few hours, giving Angela the highlights of Ralph's life—the day he was born and the day she discovered he was a genius, primarily. She and Walter shared their (sometimes differing) perspectives on the day they met, the missions they'd taken on, and their harrowing experience with Lucas on the train. Angela's jaw clenched whenever Paige talked about being in trouble, but true to her word, she said nothing.

He absentmindedly rested his hand on her leg, rubbing her knee with his thumb. "I'm glad you worked things out with your mother."

"Starting to." She knitted her eyebrows in deep thought before asking, "What did you say to her, anyway?"

The genius squinted. "What?"

"Whatever you told her this morning seemed to…soften her up," Paige shrugged. "She called you, and I quote, 'worthwhile.' That's high praise from her, I hope you know that."

"I can imagine." He was as lost as she was about the reasons behind her mother's change of heart. Angela, like Paige, was nothing short of complicated. "She just wanted to know if you and Ralph were happy. I told her that you were. That was all."

"No it wasn't," Ralph piped up from Walter's other side, his eyes never lifting from the tangled mess of equations he was writing in a notepad. Walter and Paige both jumped; the young genius had been so quiet that they'd temporarily forgotten about his presence. "Grandma asked why we were important to Walter, and he told her that you were 'it,' whatever that means."

"You were listening?" Walter held his breath as he wondered if Ralph was going to spill the beans about his proposal plans as well, but the young genius just raised and dropped his shoulders.

"It's like mom said. I hear everything."

Paige groaned. "You heard us at dinner too?"

"Yep."

The liaison dragged her hands over her face. "Why do I even bother trying to protect him?"

Walter stayed silent, wondering how much longer he would be able to keep up the charade; three of the four people in the house knew he was going to propose, and it was only by a stroke of luck that Paige herself hadn't put the pieces together yet. He had no control over what Angela and Ralph revealed, and he was becoming a nervous wreck every time they got too close. The moment had to be perfect; if she found out and he wasn't ready, his carefully constructed house of cards was going to come crumbling down.

Paige's question was apparently rhetorical, because she didn't wait for the genius to answer. Ralph's words sank in and she grinned at Walter, lifting up his arm and placing it around her shoulders. "That's very romantic, though. Thank you," she said before pressing a kiss against his cheek.

Angela chose that moment to return to the room with a tray of sandwiches and four bottles of water—no one wanted to interrupt the positive momentum to cook dinner. Walter stiffened, suddenly very aware of Paige wrapped up in his arms, her hand on his chest. She shot him a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

He felt heat creeping into his cheeks as Angela noticed the exchange and turned her attention to him. Walter mumbled something incoherent and glanced between Paige and her mother, raising his eyebrow. The liaison laughed.

"Relax, Walter." Despite her expression, which clearly showed that she thought he was being ridiculous, Paige disentangled herself from him and explained to her mother, "He's uncomfortable with displaying affection around you."

"Curious time to start caring what I think, isn't it?" The older woman set the tray down on a table and dusted off the front of her shirt. "Besides, if you really are the hero that my daughter paints you to be, then perhaps you deserve it," she said with a smirk.

Walter's blush grew deeper.

It wasn't long after their informal dinner that Ralph passed out, pinning Walter's arm to his side. Paige followed an hour later with her head on his shoulder, and Walter and Angela sat in agreeable silence, watching the two people they both loved sleep peacefully.

"They seem happy," she acknowledged, speaking quietly to avoid waking them up. "Even I can tell that you make them happy."

The genius shifted slightly to keep his arm from falling asleep and smiled at the figures draped over him. "I'm happy. With them."

Angela bit her bottom lip and stared at her daughter contemplatively. "I want…" She cleared her throat and started again. "You were going to propose to Paige this weekend, weren't you?"

Walter glanced at Paige nervously, but she didn't stir. He relaxed and met Angela's eyes. "If I found the right time."

"I've earned no goodwill with you. I know that," Angela replied after another moment of silence. "But I…want to be here. When you ask her."

The genius blinked, uncertain how to respond. Eventually, he asked, "Does that mean I have your permission to propose to Paige?"

"You've made it quite clear you don't need it," the older woman teased before growing more serious. "You'll propose anyway. I can't stop that…and I'm no longer convinced that I need to." Walter knew that was as close to acceptance as he was likely to get, and gave her a respectful nod. "But I don't want to hear about any more major events months or years after they've happened. I would like to be here for one big moment in Paige's life."

Walter took time to process her request, sorting through options in his head. He didn't owe Angela anything, but this wasn't about either of them. It was about Paige, and he believed that she would appreciate her mother's involvement. He tightened his arm around his girlfriend's back as he looked down at her again, remembering the moment that he stepped off the train and saw Paige and Ralph racing toward him. When they reached him, he'd realized that the three of them were a family, and nothing would ever change that. "Okay," Walter murmured. "I'll do it."

* * *

Paige had been vaguely surprised to find herself in bed and in her pajamas when she woke up the next morning, but her confusion was replaced with a chuckle when she realized that Walter must have carried her and Ralph upstairs, and she slept soundly through all of it. As soon as Paige got tired, she was just about dead to the world—a trait she was fortunate that Ralph shared.

After she brushed her teeth, threw on a set of clean clothes, and tied up her hair, the liaison headed downstairs and found her mother in the living room. "Morning," Paige said with a yawn. "Have you seen Ralph and Walter? They weren't in their rooms."

"They're in the backyard," Angela answered as she flipped through a decorating magazine. "Walter's teaching Ralph something or other. They tried to explain it to me, but I was lost."

Paige cocked her head and snorted. "I know the feeling."

Angela pushed herself off the couch and waved for Paige to follow her. "Let's go check and make sure they haven't blown up my backyard."

"I…hope not," the liaison said under her breath, walking down the hallway and through the glass doors that led to the patio. Walter and Ralph were standing under a tree, her son tapping on a tablet, and she was so relieved not to see fire that it took her a minute to notice Walter's nervous pacing.

"Hi," the genius blurted out when he saw her. "We were just—."

"We can't start yet," Ralph interrupted evenly. "Cabe isn't here."

"Here for…what?" Paige drew out the words, advancing toward them as she looked at her surroundings for clues but found none. "Are you doing some kind of experiment?"

"In a manner of speaking," Walter answered cryptically, taking hold of her hand and linking his fingers through hers. She heard Cabe's voice through the tablet a second later.

"I'm here. Sorry," the agent said, and Ralph finally twisted the screen around to reveal the entire team on video chat, huddled by the computer on Happy's desk at the garage. Paige immediately felt self-conscious about her lack of makeup, but decided that Scorpion had seen her at her worst more than enough times.

She waved uncertainly at the team and leaned over to whisper to Walter, "What is happening right now?"

The genius took in a deep breath and nodded to Ralph, who gave him a thumbs-up. Her son held up the tablet to face them while Angela stood behind the boy, resting her palms on his shoulders and giving Paige an encouraging smile. Walter fumbled as he pulled a square box out of his pocket. "Paige, I—."

"Oh my god," the liaison whispered, gripping his hand too tightly as she realized what was happening. Walter opened his mouth to continue, but Paige held up her finger. "One minute," she said apologetically to the team before grabbing Walter's arm and dragging him to a spot by the fence ten feet away. "Are you proposing to me?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Walter seemed thrown by her reaction. "I was trying to, yes."

She allowed her brain to catch up and grasped both of his hands, staying close to him in order to block the conversation from their audience. "Walter, are you sure about this?"

The genius stared at her blankly. "What?"

Paige sighed and drifted her thumbs over his knuckles. "I hope I didn't say anything that made you feel like I was…dropping hints or pressuring you. If you don't want to get married—."

"Why would I be proposing to you if I didn't want to get married?"

She giggled at his matter-of-fact response and moved her palms up to rest on his face. "Because you always want to make me happy. And I love that, but your happiness is important too. We can scrap all of this, I'll understand and so will the team. Only do this if you are one hundred percent ready. We just went through a traumatic experience, and perhaps it's affecting—."

"I bought the ring before that," Walter cut her off.

Now it was Paige's turn to be confused. "You did?"

"Yeah. Twelve days before the train incident. I was just waiting for the right time to give it to you, and then, well, things were sort of hectic." He paused. "Do you not want me to ask?"

Paige's eyes widened. She was clearly going about this the wrong way—the last thing she wanted to do was make Walter feel insecure. "Of course I do." To solidify her point, she leaned forward and touched her forehead to his. "I love you, Walter. I just want you to be sure. This is…new territory."

"I know," the genius breathed before leaning back slightly to look in her eyes. "But to be fair, everything with you is new territory and this…we've done the impossible, I'm pretty sure we can handle marriage."

In a tone that was half-joking and half-serious, Paige asked, "What happened to the man who thought marriage was silly and antiquated?"

"I have a whole speech for that. I gave it to Ralph yesterday." The corner of Walter's mouth lifted upward before he nodded to her son and mother. "But for now, uh, everyone's waiting."

As if on cue, Happy turned to Toby and said, "Is it just me, or is this taking a lot longer than usual?"

"Right." The liaison took a step toward the rest of the group before stopping suddenly. "You're sure?"

"Paige!" Walter laughed, mock exasperation in his voice. "Yes."

"Okay." She curled her hand around his upper arm and walked with him back to their previous spot, ignoring the questioning looks they received from everyone but Ralph, who seemed unfazed by the intermission. "Ask me again."

Walter waited for a second, anticipating another objection, before retrieving the blue box from his pocket and cracking open the lid to reveal a silver band with a surprisingly large but still tasteful square-cut diamond. It was just her style, but Paige wouldn't have cared even if it wasn't.

"Paige, I love you," he started, and that in itself was enough, because there were years in which she didn't expect to ever hear those words from him. "And I've thought about what to say, a lot, and none of it felt right. So I'll just stick with facts, because that's what I understand, and the fact is that there has never been and will never be anyone else that I want to share my life with. You, me, and Ralph, that's all I want. So…" Walter looked down at the dusty ground and contorted his face, earning a laugh from Paige, but he bent down on one knee anyway and smiled up at her. "Paige Dineen, will you marry—."

"Yes," she answered quickly. "Of course, yes. Always yes."

Walter's face fell, and his eyebrows creased. "I didn't finish asking."

"I just wanted you to know that I had no hesitation," Paige joked breathlessly, reaching out and yanking him back up to her level. "Yes."

The word was barely out of her mouth when the genius pulled her into a heated kiss, hooking his arm around her waist and supporting her as her knees went weak. It was a few seconds before they reluctantly pulled away, knowing that they needed to show at least some restraint while standing in front of their friends and family, but neither of them could contain their stupid grins as Walter gently lifted her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly, which was hardly surprising considering that he could probably have recited the exact dimensions of every part of her body at will. It was a little off-putting, but that was just how his mind worked.

The team cheered in the background, and the couple reached out to include Ralph in their embrace. Angela appeared after him, kissing Paige on her cheek and grabbing Walter's shoulder. "Welcome to the family," she said without a trace of sarcasm or malice before walking off to find a bottle of champagne to pop. Paige wrapped one arm around Walter, burying her head in his shoulder while her other arm crossed over her son.

"I knew it," Toby gloated, his self-satisfaction evident. "I knew, and I kept my mouth shut. I am a vault."

Happy rolled her eyes. "You're a leaky pipe and everyone knows it."

* * *

The last of their bags landed in Paige's trunk with a thud. The previous four days had been a roller coaster, and even though Walter was happy to have shared the moment with everyone he cared about, he looked forward to getting some time alone with Paige to celebrate and discuss the future. Their future.

He smiled at the thought.

"Walter?" The genius looked down to see Ralph holding his phone. "Your mom is calling. I sent her the videotape…I thought your parents might want to see the proposal."

"I'm sure they did. Thank you," he answered, impressed as always with the depth of Ralph's consideration for others—something that had taken Walter himself far too long to achieve. "I'll call them on the road. Let's go say goodbye to your grandma."

He watched as Angela embraced the boy, promising him that she would bring the telescope for him to fix when she visited. She saw Ralph into the car and shut the door behind him, leaving her palm on the handle as she turned to Walter.

"I…appreciate what you did," she acknowledged, playing with the charm on her necklace. "I know you didn't have to."

Walter shrugged. "I did it for Paige."

"I know." Angela straightened up and gave him a strong look. "I'm trusting you to protect my family. Don't let me down."

He nodded before his attention was diverted by the front door closing and Paige bouncing down the stone path. Walter slid into the driver's seat to give them time alone and looked back to Ralph. "Crazy weekend, huh?"

The young genius thought for a moment and then said, "Well, no one died."

"It was a close call," Walter murmured before Paige called out a last goodbye to her mother and jumped into the front seat. "Do we have everything?" he asked.

She flicked her eyes to him, to Ralph in the backseat, and then to the ring on her finger, twisting it with her thumb. "Yeah." With a wide grin, Paige reached over and intertwined her fingers with his. "I think we do."


End file.
